Countdown to surgery....hope this helps others...

Are you having, or have you had a Lateral Internal Sphincterotomy (LIS)? Please share your experiences here, or ask any questions.

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Countdown to surgery....hope this helps others...

Postby Di » 18 Aug 2011, 23:55

Hi, Image
Im writing this in the hope that it will help others who might be going through the same thing at anytime in their life... Image
7 DAYS TO GO.....(time is 6.15am UK)
Woke this morning knowing that this time next week i will be up and getting ready to go into hospital...have to be there for 7.30am....a few days ago i would have been sweating and feeling sick at the thought but after being on here for nearly a week, posting and asking questions im feeling a little more relaxed about the whole thing.
I have a ANAL FISTULA and realised from reading here and other sites that i have had it for around 4 years..slowly working its way down until it surfaced in november last year as an abscess spot...i thought at the time it was an ingrown hair that had gone a bit yucky and took anti biotics and it cleared up the yucky puss but didnt heal this sort of tube like short stubby sore that every now and again burst blood and water??? I was confussed and went back to my doctor...she said have some cream and some more anti bi...humm..ok so we just go along with it hoping it will go away....so i creamed but didnt take the anti bis this time as it wasnt infected....it was just sore and uncomfortable....so i resurched hemmeriods and didnt really find anything like it (I do have hemmeriods also but thought it maybe a different type?) but just shruged it off as "it will heal in time" but it didnt..and it kept bursting and feeling sore....so off i went to the doctors again (july 2011) and taked about it somemore...she said if a was referred to hospital they would slice it open and clean it out....but she didnt say what it was or explain why they would do that to such a tiny hole??? but i put my foot down (a little) and said please could i have the referral..which (and she is a good doc) she agreed and did the referral.
I was given a date in Aug (2011) to go off to hosp and see a consultant....waited in to waiting area for about 2 mins (unexpected) and i was in...started having a talk with the consultant and he did an examination..which was sore and embarrassing and omg i was soooo nervous!!!! :oops:
We had a chat after and he told me it looked like it might be a FISTULA.....and explained what one was....and then said "we can do an opperation to open it up and clean it out...as they dont tend to get better" My stomach did a full turn...I felt sick...and couldnt quite take it in..even though my doc had mentioned it i didnt think it was..well...what it is!! I just thought it was a little spot and they might just wash it out with a local injected in my bum...
So we talked abit more and he said i would need time off work after the op..around 12 to 14 days....this is another story...so just quickly...I start a new job in a school on 5th Sept and have been out of work for 6 months...slaps head and wishes id have known..could have had it done months ago....so i told him this and he booked me in for 19 days time...this would give me 10 days to recover....well...lets see how that pans out over the next few weeks shall we :roll:
So here i am, typing away telling you my story and feeling not so but still nervous about the whole thing...I do have 3 children but one is all grown up and expecting a baby in 12weeks, one is 15 and one is 9. They all now know mummy is going into hospital and the 2 older ones know what for but the younger one...I less explained it if you know what i mean. Image
Off to my eldest daughters house today to do some decorating ready for the baby coming.
Signing off...hope you all have a good day...sun is out here in nottingham uk (6.34am)
Di xxx
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Re: Countdown to surgery....hope this helps others...

Postby val » 19 Aug 2011, 04:50

Thanks for writing such a helpful post Di, it will help others a lot.
Congratulations on becoming a Nan! It's exciting isn't it? Is it your first grandbaby? Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?
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Re: Countdown to surgery....hope this helps others...

Postby Deleted User 579 » 19 Aug 2011, 06:45

Hey Di - this is a great post. Thanks for sharing all that information. Congratulations on becoming a gramma! :D
I hope you have a great day too!
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Re: Countdown to surgery....hope this helps others...

Postby Di » 19 Aug 2011, 10:20

Thanks ladies,
Yes it is going to be a girl and yes my first time being a nanny so im looking forward to it, i work with children so it should be a breeze lol
Will keep you posted Image
Di x
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Re: Countdown to surgery....hope this helps others...

Postby Guest » 19 Aug 2011, 14:07

Congrats on the granddaughter Di. We have something in common ,LOL. I got my first granddaughter when I had butt problems too.
I know it's scary having the surgery but it really will be the best thing you can do! Have fun decorating!
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Re: Countdown to surgery....hope this helps others...

Postby Di » 20 Aug 2011, 02:59

Cheers Dawn...Well hopefully this will be the last butt problem and the first of many grandchildren, for both of us!!
Ok so morning everyone Image
6 days to go..(9.41am sat)....feeling like i have to start getting things ready...bit like you do when your packing to go on holiday...humm...so im trying to curb that feeling and leave myself a mountain of jobs to do around the house..just little things that i can potter and do..really feeling the need to sort everything before i go in though lol...step away from the jobs list and just keep writing it!! Image
Ok so my partner will be the one looking after me after surgery and cooking the meals...we have talked about making a list of things that we will eat on each day so he knows he can feel comfortable cooking them...but as yet this hasnt been done...so im leaving it until he comes to me on friday (day of my op) and says "oh no we didnt make that list did we!" lol...well at least beans on toast will keep me regular lol. Image
My order came this morning from chemistdirect place online...ive ordered some videne surgical scrub instead of using soap....used to be betadine but cant get hold of that in the uk atm?? no idea why but hay ho it came today so im happy...its iodine based and will keep the germs away hopefully...last thing i need is an infection after. Image
Need to get some of the laxitive stuff one of you ladies suggested, cant remember the name atm...the nurse at my pre op appointment said they will give me some laxitives to take home...does anyone know what these will be and if they are any good??..or should i just go and buy some of the stuff you suggested??????? please advise ty. Image
I am also having my hemmeriods banded at the same time as the fistualotomy....does anyone know if having this done can cause other fistulas to form from the banded wound site??? or any other problems??? Image
Thank for your help everyone and for anyone else who is reading my countdown, please feel free to just say Hi.
Thanks again
Di xx Image
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Re: Countdown to surgery....hope this helps others...

Postby val » 20 Aug 2011, 12:30

Di - movicol is USA's miralax, which seems to be the best bet.
Betadine ointment has been discontinued in the UK, but is available as a spray.
I think a fistula can be a result of surgery, but haven't known anyone to have that happen with a fistulotomy/ectomy. My fistula reappeared 3 years later.
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Re: Countdown to surgery....hope this helps others...

Postby Deleted User 579 » 20 Aug 2011, 16:21

Hey Di! I'm so glad you have someone to help look after you and cook for you while you are recovering. :D
I'd say get the stool softeners that are prescribed to you. They may very well work just fine, and there's no reason not to have them handy - it's better to have them and not need them than need them and not have them! As Val said, Movicol is the stuff most of us here use (Miralax in the US and Restoralax in Canada). A few boardies struggled a bit to have the first BM and found the pain meds more constipating than they expected - they ended up taking some Milk of Magnesia (MOM) which got things going again.
I think complications from banding are quite rare, so I wouldn't worry about that just now. I've never heard of banding causing a fistula. I have heard of it sometimes causing a small fissure, but that is apparently VERY uncommon soI wouldn't worry about that at all. Banding hemmies is a very standard procedure.
Everything is going to go very well, so try not to worry too much. (I know that's easier said than done!) Soon the surgery will be over and you will be on your way to healing and forgetting all about painful butt issues. :D
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Re: Countdown to surgery....hope this helps others...

Postby Di » 21 Aug 2011, 13:33

Good advise again ladies, ty.
5 days to go...8.30pm
Just a quick one tonight...been a busy day baking cupcakes!
Well i know what a fistula is as i have one but what is a fissure?? what may i ask is the difference??
Been a hot day here and getting some pain down below today, drives me nuts when it starts to itch and hurt :(
Anyway..all good today and will pop and get some of the mom tomorrow..night all xx sleep well xx
Di x
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Re: Countdown to surgery....hope this helps others...

Postby Deleted User 579 » 21 Aug 2011, 16:29

Mmmmm - cupcakes!! :D
A fissure is like a tear in your ass, and it hurts! Usually they heal pretty quick, but sometimes they don't - and then the sphincter muscle starts to spasm, which prevents the fissure from healing, and then the fissure causes the sphincter to spasm some more, and on the cycle goes until somethings stops the spasms so the fissure can heal (like ointments, botox or surgery).
I'm sorry you were getting some pain today. That's not fun at all. Hang in there! Soon you will be healing and you won't be driven nuts by a painful, itchy bum anymore! Five days to go! Or is it closer to 4.5 days now? :D
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